Kalemani
The Kalemani (literally "three kingdoms"), officially the Hangsi ong Kalemani ("union of the three kingdoms") is the largest and most powerful nation on the island of Halangar. It controls the more populous Northern half of the island, and contains four of the five largest cities on the island. The Kalemani's name ("three kingdoms") refers to the union of the Simani nation, itself a union of two kingdoms, and the Haling nation. With an estimated 3.4 million inhabitants, and an area of about 120,000 square kilometres, the Kalemani is the largest and most populous nation. Kalemani is surrounded to the North, East, and West by sea, and borders Silu and Ilethni to the South. The Kalemani is ruled simultaneously by two kings, and one prince, and the kingdom is divided into 15 states, each ruled by a lord. Name After the union of the Simani and Haling nations, various names were considered, including Jonghai (the historical name for the region), Halzangoka (the name of the nations largest capital) and Kalemani. Kalemani is made up of the words "kalem" (three) and "ani" (kingdom; nation). The word kalem comes from Old Jonghang "khalma" (three), in turn from Proto-Siral "kilmer" (three; third). The word ani comes from Old Jonghang "hanye" (cities), in turn from Proto-Siral "enyer" (cities), The nation's two capitals, Halzangoka and Gatenghai, are Jonghang words for "black fort" and "river city", respectively. History Fishers and hunter-gatherers first arrived on Halangar around 11,000BF (about 11,500 years ago), in the South-East of the island. They were settled there for about 1000 years, before overpopulation forced some of them to move North, becoming the ancestors of the Jongis people. The oldest evidence of human activity in Kalemani is a collection of human bones near Halzangoka, dated to about 9000BF. The oldest settlement is the Kilni ruins near Milonaris, estimated to have been occupied from 3000BF to 2500BF. Around 4,000BF agriculture began to emerge in Silu. 'Early history' The kingdom of Anri'ani emerged in South-Western Kalemani, along the Ming river, around 2600BF. By 2300BF Anri'ani had conquered the majority of Western Kalemani, and much of Western Silu. The nation began to decline in the 19th century BF, and ended with the death of King Haljir in 1893BF. Between 2300BF and 1000BF the East and central parts of Kalemani were ruled by various small Kingdoms, until 980BF, when the Kingdom of Halzangoka conquered all of the Jong rivers. 'Kingdom of Halzangoka' Originating with the founding of Halzangoka city, around 1200BF, the Kingdom began to increase in influence. Like much of the region, they were strict followers of Sengyi, with the Kings claiming descent from the God Halning. The Kingdom experienced almost perpetual war with the Western Halter Kingdom, until they agreed to unite in 312. This unification allowed the Kingdom (now called Simani) to expand outwards. In the 5th century they invaded and took over the Northern peninsula, and in 572 they agreed to unite with the Haling nation in the West. The union avoided the need for war, and greatly increased the territory and wealth of Kalemani, the new nation. Between 572 and 613 (present day), Kalemani has been focusing on gaining territory in the South, and increasing trade with other nations. In 601, an army of 22,000 men invaded Selrokra, the island's largest city. The city is now split in half, with the North ruled by Kalemani, and the South ruled by Silu. Demographics Population Kalemani is estimated to have a population around 3.4 million, with about 200,000 estimated to live in cities or towns, about 6%. The majority of people live around the Jong rivers and Tilegier rivers in the centre and East of the country. The least populated area is in the hilly areas to the South-East. The North-West, West, and South of Kalemani is mostly rural, with scattered villages, and the occasional town. 'Cities' A city is defined as a settlement with a population of over 10,000. There are about 12 of these, depending on the definition. By most counts, the cities are: *While the full population of Selrokra is 36,000, only about 20,000 of those live in the Kalemani part of Selrokra. Culture 'Clothing' Clothing styles vary based on region and class. Most clothing is made of cotton, largely farmed in far-East Kalemani, and along the rivers Jong and Hangat. Rice farmers in the West commonly wear hats with large brims, to protect from the sun or the rain. It is common across the country for women to wear beads, one for each of her children. Kalemanis usually farm barefoot Among upper classes, it's uncommon to wear hats, as they are generally associated with the poor. Bright red and blue garments, and white shoes are common. 'Cuisine' Rice and fish form the basis for most food for commoners in the kingdom, with the rich enjoying pork, imported from the Milta Mountains. Kings of Kalemani, and the nation's predecessors, are known for their grand feasts, important food from all over the island. The staple foods for common people varies in different parts of Kalemani. In the Western Ex-Haling region, rice, carrots and beans make up much of the cuisine, while the North and East mostly live on rice, fish and grain. 'Ten Classes' A person's class is considered very important in Kalemani, with the population split into ten. While uncommon, people can move between these classes, but this is very rare. Respect for higher classes is an important value. Children are born into the class of their father, and when women marry they join the class of their husband. Currency and Economy Kalemanis have historically traded with gold and silver, and around 100BF, Jongis kings began to unify the system into a single currency. Money is usually in bead form, with many wealthy people hanging the beads in a necklace. There are two main beads: large Gold beads (Ton-Haga); medium Gold beads (Haga), small gold beads (Ming-Haga); large silver beads (Lipta), medium silver beads (Gaoha); small silver beads (Maina); and tiny silver beads (Ming-Maina). Most transactions and income counts are done in Maina. The exchange rate is as follows: *1TH=4H *1H=4MH *1MH=12L *1L=4H *1G=4M *1M=2MM A commoner family could expect to earn about 150 Maina per year, and a loaf of bread could cost around 0.2 Ming Maina. Among classes 4 to 9, there is a universal tax of 20%. This is unusually high, as it is currently largely being used to fund the battles along the Southern border, particularly in Selrokra city. The Kingdom earns about 20.7 million Maina, or about 6,700 Ton Haga.